Photo by: Uncle Allan
Official press release:
Formed in 2025, Kriigerkvlt is a new collective that features Heilung founding member Kai Uwe Faust and members of the Heilung warrior choir. The collective debuted live on stage in Copenhagen alongside industrial doom raver John Cxnnor and the occult feminist black metal band Witch Club Satan with an exclusive premiere of their collaborative song “Hypothermia”.
Kriigerkvlt is not tied to a specific cultural identity, historical time period or genre. They explore a wide range of expressions: harsh gutturals, throat singing, drone, piano, harp, marimba, guitar and nyckelharpa. No matter what form they take, their focus remains rooted in intensity, atmosphere and the spirit of collaboration.
To commemorate their signing to Season of Mist, today, Kriigerkvlt are releasing their first official single. From its opening bells, “Mahakala” ventures deep into a realm of fire, only to emerge transformed after a confrontation with one’s shadow self. Kriigerkvlt vocalist Kai Uwe Faust says:
“We are excited to announce our signing with Season of Mist. We have seen firsthand how the label has supported Heilung’s artistic freedom. As a flexible collective that specializes in extreme vocal textures and unconventional soundscapes, we felt that was also important for Kriigerkvlt.”
Faust continues:
“In an age where sacred symbols are often commercialized or stripped of context, Kriigerkvlt stands apart. ‘Mahakala’ is not a spectacle. It is a call to confront the hidden forces within us all, not through blind violence, but through awareness, discipline and transformation”.
Watch the music video for “Mahakala” below and stream the single here. The video for “Mahakala” was directed and filmed by Kai Uwe Faust. It was edited by Christian Medea and Anda Lupulet.
“Mahakala” invokes a wrathful deity from Tibetan Buddhism. But even though his appearance is frightening, Kriigerkvlt reveal that Mahakala is not evil. Instead, their new single is a reminder that the real enemy lies within ourselves. Faust says:
“Our attachments, our delusions, our inner chaos, these are the shadows Mahakala consumes in his black fire.”
Kriigerkvlt approach “Mahakala” with deep respect. The song is not an act of cultural appropriation but a deeply felt offering. Martial drums, ritualistic chanting, harsh vocals, heaves of bass, fragile piano and choral singing come together to honor what Mahakala truly represents. Long before his appearance in Buddhism, he was revered amongst the Bön shamanic tradition as a spirit of protection and wild nature. His black skin represents absorption, swallowing duality, illusions and all sense of fragmentation. Faust says:
“Kriigerkvlt taps into Mahakala not as outsiders, but as seekers of the same fire that burns in every human tradition. The song is intense, raw and uncompromising. It evokes the confrontation with the shadow self, the spiritual warrior’s path and the dissolving of the ego.”
